Connector for electrical conductors.



o; W. BECK. CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRICAL OONDUOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.12,190B.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

4;. ATTORNEYS CHARLES W. BECK, OF ROGKVILLE CENTER, NEW YORK.

CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed March 12, 1908. Serial No. 420,563.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CHARLES V. BECK, a citizen of the United-States, residing at Rockville Center, county of Nassau, State of Xew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connectors for Electrical Conductors, of which the follow ing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa plan view of the device applied to a binding post, said post being shown in transverse section; Fig. 2 a horizontal sectional view thereof showing the connector open to receive a binding post; Fig. 8 a side elevation of the device looking in the direction of the arrow a in Fig. 1 F 4 a vertical. central longitudinal sectional view of the. device; Fig. a transverse sectional view on the line V---V of Fig. 1 Fig. (3 a plan view of the modified form. of the connector; and Fig. 7 a side elevation thereof looking in the direction of the arrow 7 in Fig. (3.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for connecting conductor wires to binding posts. In the ordinary construction ofthe devices now gen orally used, the conductor wire is either directly connected tothe binding post or a perforated. piece ,is' secured to the conductor wire and is adapted to receive the binding post, a binding nut being used in either case to insure a proper electrical connection. Such a connection is difficult to make, many times, by reason ofthe diificulty of securing the binding nut on the binding post or of connecting the conductor wire to the post. Binding nuts work loose and often are shaken off the binding post. This form of connection is also objectionable in that the conductor wire is rigidly connected to the binding post and any movement of the free portion of the wire tends to break it near the binding post or to detach it from the perforated end piece connected to'it. The perforated end piece is usually made of sheet metal and is frequently broken because of its rigid connection to the binding post.

One of the main objects of this invention is to provide a connector which may be readily applied to a binding post or other conductor; and which, when in position thereon, will haveample contact therewith, while at the same time being free to swing around said post, or other conductor, to per init. the flexible conductor to be extended in any desired direction without causing any undue strain on the connection between the flexible conductor and the-binding post.

Another object of the invention is to form the connector of a plurality of separable parts which are normally held together to form a metal clamp to receive the binding post, but which may be readily separated to permit of the device being removed from the post or other conductor.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that when it is applied to the binding post it will engage the threads thereof. and prevent accidental displacement of it. I

Referring to the various parts by numerals, l designates the main member of the connector which is provided at one end with a socket 2 by which it is connected to the conductor wire. The main member is formed with'the two parallel walls 3 and the connecting wall 4 which is perpendicular to the parallel walls, the three walls forming the gripping member, substantially U-shape in cross section, as shown clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The parallel walls are out out at corresponding points to form the re cesses 5, the wall 6 of which forms a hook. The parallel walls-3 of this main member are of sufiicient width to permit the binding post. 7 to be received within the recess 5, as

shown clearly in Fig. l of the drawings, and

the said parallel walls are cut away sufliciently to permit the binding post to rest against the wall 4 of said main member, in order to insure a good electrical contact between the binding post and the said main member. The purpose of'shaping the walls 6 t form a hook, and of making the walls 3 broader than the diameter of the binding post, is to take up any longitudinal strain brought on the connector and to prevent any tendency of such strain opening the connector, as will be more fully hereinafter described. The main member is preferably stamped from sheet metal, but, of course, it may be made in any suitable manner.

The swinging member of the connector also consists of two parallel walls 8 and a perpendicular connecting wall 9 extending along the longitudinal edges of said parallel walls, the said member being substantially U- shape in cross section as shown clearly in Fig.

o. The swinging member is adapted to fit closely wit-bin the main member, the two open longitudinal edges of said member being opposed, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, so that when the swinging member is inclosed within the main member the free edges of its parallel walls will engage the perpendicular wall 4 of said main member. The parallel walls of the swinging member are cut out at corresponding points to form the recesses 8 to receive the binding post, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, said recessesbeing extended back to the perpendicular wall 9 to permit said perpendicular wall to contact with the binding post.

The two members are pivoted together at their outer ends, that is, at the ends opposite the socket 2 of the main member, by a pivot pin 10, which passes through the parallel walls of said members, the swin ing member being arranged to fit closely etween the parallel walls of the main member. Surrounding the pivot pin is a coil spring 11,

one end of which, 12, bears against the outeredge' of the wall 4 of the mam member of the connector, the other end 13, of the spring bearing against the outer edge of the wall 9 oi the swinging member, so that the tension of the spring will hold the two members in their closed position, that is the swinging member within the main member. To release the device from the binding post, or to open it to receive the said post, the swinging member is moved outwardly against the tension of the spring 11. When the swinging member is released the spring moves it to its closed position within the main member and in contact with the binding post. The edges of the recesses in the walls 3 and 8 engage in the threads of the binding post, as shown in Fig. 4, to prevent the detachment of the device from the binding post without moving the swinging member outwardly. By this means the connector is securely attached to the binding post and may be moved around it to adjust itself to the position of the connector, while at the same time being permanently attached thereto and secure against accidental disconnection.

The swinging member is provided near its freeend with a finger piece 14 which is adapted'to tit within the recess 15 formed in one of the-parallel walls of the main member when the said swinging member is in its closed position. By means of this finger piece the swinging member may be readily moved outwardly against the tension of the spring 11. I

The conductor 16 may be secured within the socket 2 in any suitable manner, preferably by clamping the said socket around the conductor.

To lock'the two membersof the connector together a spring lip 15 is formed on the main member and an interlocking lip 15 is formed on the swingiiigfimember, these two parts interlocking as shown in Fig. 3 when the two parts are together. When it is de- In Figs. 6 and 7 a slightly modified form of the device is shown. It consists of two semi-circular members 17 and 18 pivoted toether at 19 and provided with a spring 20 or yieldingly holding the said two members together. The inner walls of these members are threaded as shown at 21 to engage the threads of the binding post; and the main member 17 is formed with a socket 22 to receive the conductor 23. On the swinging member 18 a finger piece 24 is formed by which the said member may be moved out Wardly against the tension of the spring 20. These members are substantially U-shape in transverse section, being formed with parallel' walls 25 and a connecting wall 26. It will be readily seen that the member 18 may be swung outwardly to permit the device to be placed over a threaded binding post, and when released the post will be grasped between the said two members.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A connector for electrical conductors comprising two members pivotally connected together at their'outer ends and provided with registering recesses adaptedto receive a binding post, means for connecting a conductor to the inner end of one of said members, the inner end of the other member being arranged to swing outwardly from the conductor-carrying member, and means at the pivotal ends of the members to yieldingly force the two inner ends of the members towards each other whereby a lateral or sidewise strain on either of said members will tend to force them into closercontact.

2. A connector for electrical conductors comprising two members pivotally connected together at their outer ends and provided with registering recesses to receive a binding post, one of said members being provided with a conductor-receiving socket at its inner end, and the binding post-receiving recesses being formed between the pivot and saidsocket.

3. Anelectrical connector adapted to connect a conductor to a binding post comprising two members pivotally connected together and provided with recesses to receive the binding post, a spring for normally holding said two members together and in contact with the binding post and a socket formed on the end of one of said members on the op os'ite side of the post receiving recesses i iom the pivot of the two members.

4. An electrical connector comprising a pair of members U-shaped in cross-section and adapted to fit one within the other and formed with registering recesses adapted to receive a binding post, means for pivotally connecting said members together at their outer ends, whereby the inner ends may be swung outwardly away from each other to release the binding post, a spring secured to the outer ends of said members to normally hold them one within the other, and a socket formed on the forward end of one member, whereby the pivot connecting the two members will be at one side of the binding post, and the socket to receive the conductor will be at the opposite side of said post.

An electrical connector comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped members, one of which is adapted to fit within the other, said members being formed with recesses extending inwardly from the free edges of their parallel walls and adapted to receive a binding post, means for pivotally connecting said members together near their outer ends,

a spring for yieldingly holding said members one within the other, and means for connecting one of said members to a conductor, said means being on the opposite side of the binding post-receiving recesses from the pivot.

(-3. An electrical connector comprising two members substantially U-shaped in crosssection and adapted to fit one within the other, said members being formed with registering recesses extending inwardly from the longitudinal edges of the substantially parallel walls of said members, said recesses being adapted to receive a binding post and the walls of the said members around the reeesses being adapted to engage the threads on the binding post, a pivot connecting together the outer ends of said members, said pivot passing through the recessed parallel walls, whereby the inner ends of said members may be separated by swinging said members outwardly, a spring yieldingly holding the two members one within the other, and a socket to receive a conductor formed on the outer end of one of said members and on the opposite side of the registering recesses from the pivot of said members.

7. An electrical connector adapted to connect a conductor to a binding post comprising two members U-shape in cross section and adapted to fit one within the other, the free edges of the inner member being arranged to lie close to the closed end of the outer member, the overlapping parallel walls of said members being formed, with registering recesses to-receive abinding post, the edges of said walls being adapted to engage the threads of said binding post, a pivot extending through the overlapped walls of said members, a spring to yieldingly hold said two members in their interlocked position, a socket on the end of the main or outer member to receive the conductor, said socket being 011 the opposite side of the post-receiving recess from the pivot.

8. An electrical connector adapted to connect a conductor to a binding post comprismg two members U-sha e in cross-section and adapted to fit one within the other, the

free edges of the inner member being arranged'to lie close to the closed end of the.

outer member, the overlapping parallel walls of said members being formed with registering recesses to receive a binding post, the edges of said walls being adapted to engage the threads of said binding post, a pivot extending through the overlapped walls of the said members, a springto yieldingly hold said two members in their interlocked position, a socket on the end of the main or outer member to receive the conductor, said socket being on the opposite side of the post-receiving recesses from the pivot, a finger piece formed on the inner member near the free end thereof and adapted to lie in a recess in the outer member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses this 10th day of March 1908.

CHARLES W. BECK. Witnesses N. C. COPELAND, CHAS. D. CLARKE. 

